Kaz Hirai Climbs Corporate Ladder at Sony

Kaz Hirai continues to climb the corporate ladder at Sony. The next rung will put him in charge of even more Sony products.

Currently in charge of Sony's Networked Products & Services Group, which includes PlayStation, Hirai will, as of April 1, be promoted to Vice President and will head up Sony's new Consumer Products and Services Group. This division will include all of Sony's consumer products and network services. In addition to PlayStation, Hirai will oversee televisions, home audio, home video, digital imaging, PCs and mobile products. Basically, if you see a Sony product in a home electronics shop, it will be under Hirai's watch.

Sony is reorganizing its business into two broad categories. Joining the Consumer Products and Services Group will be the Professional and Device Solutions Group, to be headed up by Hiroshi Yoshioka. This division covers components, semiconductors and business services -- the stuff you probably won't find at Best Buy.

Howard Stringer will remain CEO of Sony Group as a whole. It is widely believed that this move could be positioning Hirai as an eventual successor to Stringer.